"Spelling it out"

The Powers that Be have apparently decided to bring rule and regulation into the websphere, somewhat similar to how road traffic and motor vehicles are regulated.

The ramifications of Secure-Only web are both wide ranging and far reaching, and they all smack of totalitarian control. Not wanting to go into long rants, I'll offer just one example, one aspect of it.

But first, you'll have to keep in mind that those policies are made looking years ahead into the future. Sometimes the immediate effects are less important than the potential for further developments that opens up.

"My device is my passport"

Let us say that the requirements are three: (a) processors meeting the modern standards, (b) competently engineered crypto libraries, and (c) universal https adoption. Part (a) is just a matter of patience (but can be helped along by things like Windows 10 supported hardware, etc.). The (b) is simple as well: mere mortals don't dabble with the important system components, let alone crypto libraries (but some oversight of open source repositories is prudent; we wouldn't want a fiasco like the DeCSS again.) Now (c) is the hard part. It requires lots of PR jedi work, lots of stick and candy.

Now connect the dots. Crypto library will use CPU facilities for the session key, and maybe for padding as well. The processor-generated random fields contain a unique digital watermark. Et voilą! All of your communication, each and every query, will be signed in your name. Or rather, with the serial number of the device, but there are ways to connect the two.

There is nothing novel about serial numbers. Pentium III had the feature, although that snake met a rather swift end. If you know about laser printers, probably all of those devices embed identifying watermarks. Practically invisible to the naked eye, but it's there: forensics are able to tell if two pages come from same source, and so on.

The difference between net and printer forensics is that the latter requires work in physical space, specialized tools and expertise, and is therefore expensive. The former can, and will, be automated by Alphabet, wholesale. Now this is unprecedented in the history. Mail system never had this much resolution, this cheap.

"Doom and gloom"

In a way, we have arrived at crossroads. It hearkens back to the time when Oppenheimer spoke the famous words of physicists having known sin, laying the guilt on entire scientific community. Today we have Data Science and Big Data. Engineers and technocrats can put in place formidable structures that can only be described as weapons of mass control.

But considering the bit of a pickle mankind has found itself in—overpopulation and climate change and all—then maybe this is all perfectly indicated: a soul-crushing, totalitarian regime to suppress the breeding pests.

I would contend though, that Global Thermonuclear War may have an advantage there: not only does it solve population problems in a blink of an eye, it can also put the brakes on global warming.

So you see, we do have a choice! ;->